Headwear

ABSTRACT

A novel piece of headwear such as a baseball style cap that has means to hold a person&#39;s hair in place while the headwear is being worn. The means to hold a person&#39;s hair in place include a clasp featuring a plurality of teeth that is integrated into the headwear itself. The clasp is integrated into the cap such that it flanks an opening or slit in the covering of the cap. In use, a person pulls their hair through the clasp as they place the cap on their head and engages the closure means on the clasp to hold their hair in place without compressing or pulling it.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION (a) Field of the Invention

The present invention is in the technical field of clothing. More particularly, the present invention is in the technical field of headwear.

(b) Background Art

The baseball cap was first introduced around 1860 by the Brooklyn Excelsiors. By the turn of the twentieth Century, the Brooklyn style baseball cap had become popular among American consumers. Baseball caps are generally characterized by having an extended bill or brim in the front designed specifically to keep the sun out of the wearer's eyes. In addition, modern baseball caps generally have a mesh material covering the back half or so of the garment to allow for air flow. Further, these hats generally have some means of adjusting the size of the hat in the back—usually either a plastic or hook and loop adjustment structure that allows the wearer to comfortably adjust the fit of the garment.

Donning a hat is one of the easier ways for a person to “punch up” their look or outfit. It is also a means of providing some shielding from the sun and can be used to keep one's hair out of the way. However, for men and women with long hair, wearing a traditional snap-back baseball cap can be a difficult endeavor. Generally, a lot of hair can make it difficult just to place and retain the hat on one's head. The tighter one fits the cap onto one's head, the more of an impression the hat leaves in the wearer's hair—a phenomenon known as “Hat Hair” or “Hat Head.” The traditional solution to that problem is accomplished by tying the hair back into a ponytail and inserting the hair through the snapback or opening in the back of the hat. Wearing the hair pulled back in a ponytail can be rather uncomfortable and causes headaches. In addition, such a garment significantly limits the number of hairstyles that someone with long hair can wear with the cap to the lower hanging pony-tail. Moreover, the addition of accessories to the hair that are commonly used to put hair into a pony-tail apply pressure to the hair and leave an indention or mark in the hair when removed. In addition, the taught pony-tail hairstyle required of someone wearing a traditional baseball cap causes the wearer to experience a pulling sensation with respect to their hair—a sensation that is considered painful and/or uncomfortable.

Naturally, other inventors have attempted to resolve these problems—typically by altering the opening at the back of the cap. One attempt to create a baseball cap style hat for people with long hair is described in U.S. Patent Publication Number 2009/0255030 (the “Guy” reference). The Guy reference describes a second aperture in the back of the cap flanked by a seam covered with fabric that extends around the second aperture to hold hair in place without the use of rubber bands or other devices to hold the hair in place. However, such a device still presents the same problems as regular baseball caps because the user still has to pull their hair back through an opening in the cap. The difference is that the cap contains the elastic material necessary to hold the hair in place rather than having a separate structure do the same. In addition, this invention still requires the user to wear their hair in a pony-tail.

Other inventors have simply enlarged the opening in the back of the cap. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,240,566 issued to Scantlin describes a typical baseball style cap with an enlarged opening in the back that otherwise functions as a normal baseball cap. The enlarged opening in the Scantlin reference covers about 30 to 70% “ . . . of the plan surface area defined by the sweatband [opening].” However, this configuration leaves more than half of the user's head uncovered and the device really resembles a visor that is meant to cover only a portion of the user' head.

Another attempt to resolve this difficulty is described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,421,838 issued to Kelly Frank. The Frank reference teaches including an integral elastic strap at the back of the cap to allow the user to tie their hair in a pony-tail after it protrudes from the bottom of the cap itself. Again, this device suffers from the same drawbacks as the other devices and the traditional baseball cap.

A goal of the present invention is to produce a cap that makes it easier for people with long hair to wear the cap and to retain their hair in place comfortably without disrupting their hair style.

Another goal of the present invention is to produce headwear that makes it easier and more comfortable for people with long hair to wear a traditional baseball style cap.

Another goal of the present invention is to make device that allows a person with long hair to easily retain a baseball style cap on their head.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present disclosure relates to a novel cap that makes it easier for people with long hair to wear the cap and to retain their hair in place comfortably without disrupting their hair style. While this disclosure can pertain to any sort od headwear, the description of the various embodiments of the presently disclosed device will focus on an embodiment adapted to a traditional baseball style hat or cap. A traditional baseball cap will have a bill and a covering, with the covering having a front and a back. The back of the covering is generally placed against the back of the user's head, unless they are wearing the cap backwards. The very top of the hat is sometimes referred to as the apex of the cap in this disclosure. Such a cap will have an opening for the user's heard and a second opening at the back of the hat.

This disclosure pertains to a hat or piece of headwear such as a baseball cap that has a slit located in the back of the cap. The slit can replace the traditional snapback opening at the back of a traditional baseball cap or it can be located above said opening. Preferably, the slit extends at least part of the distance from the apex to the traditional snapback opening; however, additional variations on the inventive headwear include the slit being oriented differently with respect to the back of the headwear. For example, the slit can extend horizontally or even diagonally across the back of the cap. Preferred embodiments include a vertical slit that extends from the apex of the cap down the back of the cap until it either terminates at the snapback opening or to the adjustable band that is commonly found at the back of most modern caps.

In addition, the inventive cap includes teeth, prongs or elongated protrusions, flanking either side of the slit in the back of the cap. In addition, there is a device that allows the wearer to close the opening flanked by teeth, preferably at the bottom of the slit. In some embodiments, this is a clasp or fastener. Still other versions of the inventive cap have a hinge located at a top or a bottom of the slit flanked by teeth. This hinge can be part of or integrated into a two-part clasp with two arms or sides, each side of the clasp featuring teeth or prongs. The teeth or prongs of each side of the clasp extend laterally away from the side of the clasp to which they are attached and in the general direction of the other side of the clasp such that when the clasp is closed at both ends, the teeth from each side meet and overlap each other.

Still other versions of the cap may have a clasp with two sides that are arc-shaped such that the clasp, when closed, is wider at one portion than it is at other portions. For example, some versions of the cap have a clasp with each side having an arc shape and positioned such that the space formed at the midpoint of each side of the clasp is wider than the space at either end of the clasp, i.e., each arc-shaped side of the clasp is angled outward away from the other side. Such a configuration makes accommodating a large amount of hair easier as there is more room at the center of the clasp where it is needed. In addition, in some versions of the inventive headwear, the shape of the slit confirms to the shape of the clasp making each side of the slit arc-shaped and thereby forming an oval shape when the skit is closed with the clasp.

When in use, the user places the cap on the front of their head and fits the cap over the rest of their hair. When situating the back of the cap over the rest of the wearer's head the wearer opens the clasp or locking mechanism at the bottom of the slit and pulls the two sides of the clasp apart thereby creating room for the wearer's hair. The wearer then fits their hair into and through the opening created by open clasp integrated into the cap and then closes the clasp such that the teeth insert into the wearer's existing hairstyle. Preferred embodiments of the device have teeth that overlap, at least partially, when the clasp is closed on the wearer's hair. In addition, the size of the clasp can be varied, but preferred embodiments of the device have a clasp surrounding a slit or opening in the back of the cap that begins just below the apex of the cap and extends to the adjustable band that is commonly found at the back of most modern caps. This arrangement allows the user to insert a larger amount of hair, styled into roughly whatever style the user can image, through the opening at the back of the cap such that the cap holds the hair in place without cinching, pulling or compressing it. This makes wearing the cap more comfortable and allows the user to wear their hair in a variety of styles other than the traditional low hanging pony-tail.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a left side perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the clasp removed from the headwear;

FIG. 3 is a bottom perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the present invention; and

FIG. 4 is a left side perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the present invention while placed on a user's head.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Referring now to the invention in more detail, in FIG. 1 there is shown a baseball style cap 10 having a bill 11, a covering 12 and the traditional aperture or opening 13 at the back of the cap 10, i.e. the portion of the covering 12 that is opposite the bill 11. In addition, FIG. 1 shows the apex 14 of the cap 10. FIG. 1 also shows the slit 15 that runs the longitudinal length of the cap from the apex 14 to the bottom of the back of the cap 10. In this version of the cap 10, there is an additional opening or aperture 13 that is featured by most traditional baseball caps sometimes referred to as the snapback opening.

FIG. 2 shows the clasp 16 that is integrated into the cap 10 isolated from any headwear. The clasp 16 features the teeth 19 of the clasp 16 that is integrated into the cap 10 and flank the sides of the opening created by the slit 15. In this embodiment, each side 17, 18 of the clasp 16 features its own set of teeth 19 that overlap when the clasp is closed. That is to say that each set of teeth extends away from the side into which they are integrated towards the other side of the clasp such that the teeth from each side pass each other, at least partially. In addition, the claps 16 has two sides or arms 17, 18 each of which is arc-shaped such that the distance between the sides of the clasp is larger at the approximate midpoint of the clasp 16. As a result, when the clasp 16 is closed, the arcing of both sides 17, 18 creates a clasp 16 that is roughly oval-shaped.

FIG. 2 also shows the clasp 16 having a first side 17 and a second side 18 with teeth 19 or protrusions extending outward away from each side 17, 18 of the clasp 16. At the top of the clasp 16 located proximate to the apex 14 of the cap, the clasp 16 features a hinge 20. At the opposite end of the clasp 16, the clasp 16 features means to close the clasp 16. A number of different closure means can be used to close the clasp 16, but the version depicted in the figures uses two hooks 21 that interlace with each other to keep the clasp 16 closed. Any traditional means of closing a clasp could be used in place of the hooks 21 including but not limited to snaps, clasps and other closures.

FIG. 3 shows the same cap 10 as in FIG. 1, but depicts the cap 10 upside down so that the interior is visible. FIG. 3 shows the inner surface of the covering 12 as well as the aperture 13. FIG. 3 also shows the clasp 16 integrated into the slit 15 that extends from the apex 14 of the cap 10 to the aperture 13 in the back of the cap 10.

FIG. 4 shows the cap 10 in use on a person's head. FIG. 4 shows that the person's hair is inserted through the slit 15 containing the integrated clasp 16 featuring teeth 19 (See FIG. 2). As discussed above, in use, a person with long hair opens the clasp 16 at the back of the cap 10, inserts their hair through the clasp 16 engaging the teeth 19 in the person's hair and then closes the clasp 16 by manipulating the closure means 21 at the end of the clasp 16. The overlapping teeth serve to hold the person's hair in place without compressing or pulling the hair. When the claps 16 is closed around the person's hair, the cap 10 is held in place by the clasp and the person's hair making it easy for the wearer to keep the cap on their head without ruining their hairstyle or painfully pulling their hair back into a pony-tail.

This device need not be featured by a traditional baseball style cap, but rather can be featured by any sort of clothing that tends to cover a portion of a person's head.

Reference throughout the specification to features, advantages, or similar language does not imply that all of the features and advantages that may be realized with the present invention should be or are in any single embodiment of the invention. Rather, language referring to the features and advantages is understood to mean that a specific feature, advantage, or characteristic described in connection with an embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the present invention. Thus, discussion of the features and advantages, and similar language, throughout the specification may, but do not necessarily, refer to the same embodiment.

Furthermore, the described features, advantages, and characteristics of the invention may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments. One skilled in the relevant art will recognize that the invention can be practiced without one or more of the specific features or advantages of a particular embodiment. In other instances, additional features and advantages may be recognized in certain embodiments that may not be present in all embodiments of the invention.

It is understood that the above described embodiments are only illustrative of the application of the principles of the present invention. The present invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from its spirit or essential characteristics. The described embodiment, including the best mode, is to be considered in all respects only as illustrative and not restrictive. The scope of the invention is, therefore, indicated by the appended claims, if any, in conjunction with the foregoing description.

While the foregoing written description of the invention enables one of ordinary skill to make and use what is considered presently to be the best mode thereof, those of ordinary skill will understand and appreciate the existence of variations, combinations, and equivalents of the specific embodiment, method, and examples herein. The invention should therefore not be limited by the above described embodiment, method, and examples, but by all embodiments and methods within the scope and spirit of the invention. 

I claim: 1: An article of headwear, said headwear comprising: a slit extending away from an apex of the headwear and traversing a back of the headwear thereby creating an opening; and teeth integrated into the back of the headwear and positioned to extend laterally into the opening created by the slit. 2: The article of headwear of claim 1 wherein the teeth are featured by a clasp that is integrated into the headwear. 3: The article of headwear of claim 2 wherein the clasp has two sides, each side featuring teeth that extend laterally away from each side of the clasp and extend into the opening created by the slit. 4: The article of headwear of claim 3 wherein each side of the clasp is arc-shaped such that a middle portion of each side of the clasp extends away from the other middle portion of the opposite side of the clasp. 5: The article of headwear of claim 4 wherein the two sides of the clasp are joined by a hinge. 6: The article of headwear of claim 5 wherein the slit is between a separate opening in the back of the covering of the headwear and the apex of the headwear. 7: The article of headwear of claim 6 wherein each side of the clasp has an end terminating in a hook. 8: The article of headwear of claim 7 wherein the teeth featured by each side of the clasp overlap when the clasp is closed. 9: The article of headwear of claim 4 wherein the teeth featured by each side of the clasp overlap when the clasp is closed. 10: A clasp integrated into a back or a top of a piece of headwear, said headwear featuring a first opening used to accommodate the user's head and a second opening separate from the first opening, said clasp comprising: a first arm and a second arm of the clasp, each arm featuring a plurality of teeth extending away from the arm to which they are attached; a plurality of teeth featured by each side of the clasp such that when the clasp is closed, the teeth of each side of the clasp overlap with each other; and wherein the clasp is integrated into the piece of headgear such that it secures the second opening. 11: The clasp of claim 10 wherein the headwear features a third opening and the second opening extends from the third opening to the top of the headwear. 12: The clasp of claim 11 wherein the clasp features two opposing arms, each arm having a plurality of teeth that overlap with each other when the two arms of the clasp are closed. 13: The clasp of claim 12 wherein the two arms of the clasp feature a hinge at one end and closure means at the opposite end. 14: The clasp of claim 12 wherein the hinge is located proximate to the top of the headwear. 15: The clasp of claim 10 wherein the second opening is oval shaped. 16: A baseball cap featuring a first opening to accommodate a user's head, a second opening in the back of the cap and a vertical slit, extending away from the second opening and a clasp integrated into each side of the slit. 17: The baseball cap of claim 16 wherein the clasp features a plurality of teeth that extend into the slit. 18: The baseball cap of claim 17 wherein the clasp and the slit are both oval shaped. 